Category Archives: singer

The rapid deployment of robotics platforms and systems within the military represents one of the most important present-day political and technological developments. Bestselling author and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution Peter W. Singer has written a new book about this “robotics revolution” entitled Wired for War, a broad ethical and technological look at the subject.

On Tuesday, June 2 at 7:30PM, HacDC, a “hackerspace” and creative technology collaborative in downtown Washington D.C., will host a talk and discussion with Dr. Singer. Singer has recently discussed the book on The Daily Show and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and has been traveling the country presenting his findings to audiences of civilians, military personnel, and technology industry workers. As a neutral meeting-place open to engineers, technology hobbyists, and policy analysts, HacDC is an ideal location to discuss the significant ethical and political questions raised by the acceleration of military robotics. Many HacDC members build robots themselves and have a good feeling for the technological possibilities, especially in terms of offensive capabilities that technologies with off-the-shelf components might offer amateurs and small groups.

This event will be free and open to the public, and there is no need to RSVP. HacDC is several blocks away from the Columbia Heights metro station and is located in St. Stephen’s Church at 1525 Newton St NW. The event will be held in the large church sanctuary space. For more details, contact Todd Fine at email hidden; JavaScript is required or (857) 234-0920.

We are pleased to announce that on Tuesday, June 2 at 7:30PM bestselling author Peter W. Singer will give a talk on military robotics and his new book Wired for War at the HacDC space.

Peter Warren Singer is Senior Fellow and Director of the 21st Century Defense Initiative at the Brookings Institution, and he is the youngest scholar named Senior Fellow in the 90-year history of Brookings. His new book looks at the implications of military robotics on war, politics, ethics, and law in the 21st century. Described as “an exhaustively researched book, enlivened by examples from popular culture” by the Associated Press and “awesome” by Jon Stewart of The Daily Show, Wired for War made the New York Times non-fiction bestseller list in its first week of release. It has already been featured in the video game Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriot, and Singer has given presentations on the book to a diverse array of military and civilian audiences.

We will be posting more information as this event approaches, but please do spread the word to media, listservs, or other communities of interest. HacDC is a nonprofit community space for people who experiment with all kinds of technology, and we have a strong group interest in robotics. In addition to robotics hobbyists, this event should appeal to people who work in public policy, engineering, military, and other fields in the Washington, D.C. area; we welcome all to the space. For specific information about the event or if you would like to cover it as press, please contact Todd Fine at email hidden; JavaScript is required.

Approach on the 16th St side of the building. Look for the red doors. We are on the third floor. Follow the signs to our space after signing in with the guard. Before visiting unannounced, call to see if anyone is at the space.Phone: 202-556-4225 (HACK)